Our campaign for Wayne State University

For the Moment: Campaign Update, Winter 2018

The first incarnation of Wayne State University was the Detroit Medical College, founded in 1868. Image courtesy of the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs.

In 2018, Wayne State University is celebrating 150 years of pivotal moments in Detroit. The university will launch our yearlong Sesquicentennial Celebration with a special kickoff event on January 26. At the same time, we are entering the final year of Pivotal Moments: Our Campaign for Wayne State University having reached 95 percent of our ambitious $750 million goal. We have now raised $715 million!

The Sesquicentennial Celebration is about celebrating the past while looking to the future. What pivotal moments do we want to create in the next 150 years and beyond?

For Wayne Law student Amelia Zelenak—who is now earning her third degree from Wayne State—studying abroad was her pivotal moment. “My first study abroad opportunity ultimately changed my perspective on life,” she said. With financial support from Wayne State, she conducted biomedical engineering research in China and Austria.

For many other students, receiving a scholarship is a pivotal moment. It certainly was for Drew Damron, a student earning his master’s degree in library and information science. “Receiving the Judith J. Field Scholarship was a game changer for me,” he said. “It will help to set me apart from other job applicants. This is a very competitive field, and Wayne State is helping me foster the specialized skills that libraries and archives are looking for.”

Thanks to the more than 80,000 people who have contributed to the Pivotal Moments campaign, Wayne State will create countless pivotal moments for students like Amelia and Drew, as well as for our faculty, staff and community members.

It’s not too late to be part of this milestone year at Wayne State. Every gift to every area of the university counts toward our campaign total, so you can support your favorite program while helping to reach our goal. And mark your calendar for October 26, 2018, when Wayne State will host a very special event to conclude the Sesquicentennial Celebration and the successful Pivotal Moments campaign.

Pivotal Moments: Our Campaign for Wayne State University honors the pivotal moments Wayne State has created in people’s lives and provides support to create future moments for students, faculty and the community. Every gift to every area of the university counts toward our ambitious goal to raise $750 million by 2018, the 150th anniversary of the university’s founding. To learn more about Pivotal Moments and the impact giving makes at Wayne State, browse through our Impact Stories.